Method of solidifying soap.



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METHOD OF SGLIDIFYING 50M.

APPLICATION FILED MA'EL3. 1915.

1 16439? Patented Dec. 142, 1915.

METHOD 01E SOLIDILFYING messes.

,, of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Solidifyin'g Soap, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in processes of solidifying normally solid materialsor compositions, particularly fats or fatty esters, including" soap, oleomargarin and the like, to form the same into cakes or bars;

As is well known, ill the manufacture of soap, after the liquid or plastic soap has settied in the kettle, it is withdrawn therefrom and fed into a crutcher, wherein it is agitated and mixed with other ingredients, such as sodium carbonate, borax, sodium silicate, or the like. vsitter this treatment the molten or more or less plastic soap is re moved from the crutcher and introduced into a. frame, or mold having removable sides. In this frame, the molten or more or less plastic soap is allowed to cool andsolidify and after becoming sufliciently solid, the sides of the frame-are removed and the large piece of solid soap is removed and cut into slabs, which are inturu cut in to bars or cakes. These bars ,or cakes are subsequently dried and stamped, This old process of cooling, solidifying and cutting the solid soap int'oba'rs or cakes is time consuming, expensive, and possesses numerous disadvantages. There isconsiderable waste of soap in cutting". the frame of soap into the bars or cakes. and this waste soap is reboiled or remelted, and again. put into frames to solidify.

lit has been found that by introducing the liquid or plastic soap into the frames for cooling", air holes are not infrequently formed in the slabs of soap, which are apparent when the slabs are cut into the bars or cakes. When it is found that the solidilied soap contains air' holes, it must be remelted and again placed in the frame. The process of radually cooling the soap by allowing the same to stand in the frames is disadvantageous, as the space occupied-by the frames is considerable, and; in hot weather with consequent slow cooling, segregation occurs in the frames Mvmethod is believed to overcome these disadvantages. In accordance with my method, ll take more or less liquid or plastic soap from the kettle Specification of Letters Fatent.

ins; of orifice and cold ZFatented Dec, Elsi, tutti Application filed March 3, 1915. Serial No. 11,903.

and preferablyintroduce the same into the crutcher in the usual manner, wherein it. is agitated and mixed with the desired ingredientsi From the crutcher the soap is fed into a rcceiving tank and then either with or without preliminary cooling, the soap ordinarilybeing molten or in more or lass plastic condition, is fed into a pipe cylinder or shell having a reduced outlet orifice of the proper cross sectional area and shape depending upon the cross sectional area and shape of the cake or bars of soap which it is desired to form. "/Vithin this cylinder or shell the more or less fluid or plastic soap is subjected to pressure which causes the soap to pass out of the contracted orifice or opening and into a cooling liquid, preferably salt water or brine, preferably maintained at a tempera ture between 30 and F., while other liquids may be employed with some degree of success and the temp rature of the liquid may be varied within wide limits without departing from-the spirit of the invention. it is advantageous that the liquid should have a relatively low temperature so that it will suddenly chill and. harden the soap, causing it to become solid whereby the bars or cakes thereof will retain their original shape. The chilled liquid preferably has a specific gravity greater than soap. so that the latter will float thereon but liquids of lower specific gravity mayalso be used.

instead of employing salt water or brine as a chilling liquid, 1 may employ vegetable or animal oil. mineral 01L water or solutions The preliminary cooling! l effect in various ways.v as by water or brin'e'cooled cylinders or rolls such as are used. for chilling toilet soap in. drying machines or lard. oleomarsarin and other fats, or by water 'iacli'ets on the pipes or plodder throu h which the molten or semiliouid oapis forced on its way to the principal cooling" device consist fluid. The soap is preferably continuously lit? preliminary cooling.

ducedorifice or chilling liquid, and propelled thereon to a point where it is out without perceptibly retarding its travel.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and. in which apparatus suitable for the practice of my process is shown, the figure is a central ver- 'cal longitudinal sectional view througl'i.

' paratus embodying my invention.

"11 the drawings, wherein for the purpo. of illustration is shown a preferred emb "ment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a crutcher of any well known or preferred type. The fluid or plastic soap, With or withoutpreliminary cooling, is fed into the crutcher 1 through a pipe 2, and

While within the crutcher 1s agitated and. mixed with suitable ingredients such as soda, borax, or the like. The heated or more or less plastic soap passes preferably by gravity from the crutcher. through a pipe 8 and enters a receiving tank 3. The soap is then withdrawn from the receiving tank by a pump 4. and fed through a pipe 5 into one end of a compression.cylinder or shell 4-. The pipe 5 is preferably surrounded by a cooling shell or jacket 6', adapted to contain water or brine. which is cooled by refrigerating pipes 7. The function of this cooling jacket is to give the more or less plastic soap a preliminary cooling before entering the compression cylinder or shell 4, and it is to be understood that some degree of success in the practice of the process is obtainable by omitting this The entrance end of the cylinder or shell 4 is closed except for connection with the pipe 5 and its opposite end is provided with a reduced discharge orifice or conduit 5, having any desired shape in'cross-section and any suitable area, depending upon the shape and size in crosssection of. the cake or bar of soap to be formed. Arranged within the cylinder or shell 4 is a spiral conveyer 6, serving to compress the more or less plastic soap and cause the same to be dischar ed through the reconduit 5. Any other suitable means may be employed to thus compress the soap, such. as a plunger or the like, or the pressure exerted by the pump alone may be sufficient, in certain instances.

The outlet conduit 5 compresses the soap to prevent the formation of air openings therein and discharges into a cooling shell 7, partly or wholly filled with a cooling liquid medium, preferably salt water or brine, as shown. The brine is suliiciently strong to prevent any sub t ntial dissolving of the soap therein. The temperature of the brine is preferably maintained between 30 and F, by refrigerating pipes 8 arranged in the lower portion of the shell '7, While any other refrigerating means may be one do ed. I] on the assa e of the sea) solid before the amass? into the brine it is suddenly chilled upon contact with the cold liquid and becomes more or less solid. The. soap is preferably continuously fed from the outlet conduit 5 and forms a'long strip or bar, engaging upon propelling rollers 9, which are rotated in the direction of the arrow. These rollers propel or el'l'ect the longitudinal travclol the strip oi. soup to a table it), whcrcon it is cut into or kes or bars of suitable sizes, preterably without perceptibly retarding the longitudinal u'iovcment thereof. There is a considerable space between the shell T and table 10, and the soap while traveling through this space is preferably subjected to the action of a current of air from a fan 10, which serves to evaporate the salt water adhering to the soap whereby the soap is dried.

It is thus obvious that my method besides being much more expeditious than the old methods, may be practised by means of; apparatus which will take up very little space as compared to prior apparatuses for the same purpose. The single receptacle 7 will eoola large number of cakes or bars in a given time, and a larger number than could be ai oiiip lsheql by the means of a plurality of the ordinary frames now in use.

While Thave illustrated my method in the chilling and hardening of soap, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the treatment of soap alone but is intended to include the treatment of normally solid materials or compositions, particularly fats or fatty acid, esters, including soap, oleomargarin or the like.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a. preferred example of the same, and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subioined claims.

Having thus described. the invention, I claim 1. The herein described method of forming normally solid material into cakes or bars, which consists in forcingthe material while in a more or less plastic state and under suitable pressure through an orifice and introducing it into a. cold fluid adapted to suddenly chill the material and render it same loses its shape.

The herein described method of forming normally solid material into cakes or bars, "which consists in applying suitable pressure to the material while in a. more or less plastic state for forcing the same through a contracted orifice to prevent the formation of air openings therein, and introducing the material after passingthrough the orifice into a cold fluid to suddenly chill it.

3. The herein described method of formiug normally solid material into cakes liars, Wlrch consists in applying suitable pressure tothe material While in a more or less plastic state for forcing the same through a' contracted orifice, introducing the material after passing through the orifice into a cold fluid to suddenly chill it, and removing the chilled material from the presence of tho cold fluid.

l. The herein described method of forming normally solid material into cakes or bars, which consists in feeding the material through a shaping conduit while in a more or less plastic state, introducing the material. after passing thi ugh the conduit into a cold liquid having a greater specific gravity than the material to suddenly chill it, and removing the chilled material from the presence of the cold liquid.

5. The herein described method oil forming soap into bars or cakes, which consists in passing the soap in a more or less plastic condition through a shaping conduit into a cold liquid to suddenly chill the soap, and removing the chilled soap from the cold liquid.

6. T he herein described method of forum ing normally solid fatty acid esters into cakes or bars, which consists in passing the fatty acid esters in a more less plastic condition through a shaping conduit into a cold liquid to suddenly chill the same, removing the fatty acid vesters from the presence of the cold liquid, and subjecting the same to the action of a current of air to dry it.

7. lhe herein described method of forming normally solid material containing fatty acid esters into cakes or loars which consists in forcing the material While in a more or less plastic condition through a shaping conduit into a cold liquid to suddenly chill the material, supporting and propelling the chilled material through the cold liquid to apoint exteriorly of the liquid, subjecting the material exteriorly of the liquid to the action of a current of air, and cutting the material thus treated into sections of suitable size.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

-WILLIAlll'. D. RICHARDSON. i Vitnesses Gen nvnzvii RICHARDSON, nLoRA J. lrlicnanoson, 

